Study and Training
Master in Social Work is a 2 year course open to graduates. This is a professional training necessary for social workers though anthropologists, sociologists and psychologists are also found suitable for some of the work social workers do. While the course is open to all graduates candidates from sociology/social work/psychology background would get preference. The course covers social science subjects - sociology, psychology, economics, philosophy, history of social and public institutions and the administration of such institutions.
Specialisation is offered in community social work/medical & psychiatric social work/criminology and correctional administration/family and child welfare etc. The field work during the course provides opportunity to work in the area of specialisation and complete a project on the work done. A course in labour and social welfare provides opening into the labour welfare section of personnel departments.
Admission to the postgraduate course is made through a written test and interview. The test assesses mental ability and general awareness and the interview is aimed to identify candidates with genuine interest in social work.
Almost 90 per cent of the students passing the Master’s Course in Social Work find suitable employment. They work for government organisations, prisons, hospitals, social work agencies and voluntary organisations. Career opportunities exist in the specific area of specialisation. Students who specialize in criminology and correctional work find jobs in prisons, and government departments.
Specialists in medical and psychiatric social work find opportunities in clinics, hospitals, sanatorium, child guidance clinics, counselling centers, mental hospitals, medical colleges, community public health centers etc. Social workers in community development are involved in field work with community groups, government and voluntary agencies. They work with local community leaders to bring about required changes in a given community to meet its welfare needs through the process of planned change.
Future prospects
Rural development, adult literacy, preventive health, food and nutrition, women and child welfare and environment conservation programmes are high on the agenda of the government, the future for trained social workers is certainly good. In the Industrial and Corporate sectors personnel welfare is becoming a major concern of most organisations.
Social workers form an integral part of the personnel department of most large public and private sector firms. Family planning and Aids awareness campaigns of the government also involve social workers. World organisations such as the United Nations, sponsors projects to facilitate developing countries in their social welfare and other developmental programmes. Enormous amounts of funds are used for funding such projects. Social workers are an essential part of such projects.
The NGO sector has come up in a big way. Ministry of social welfare and justice gives grant to more than 2,000 NGOs in the field of social welfare . A number of top Indian conglomerates have opened up social service wings and a number of international NGOs have set up offices here. The employment opportunities, in fact, have been expanding, from environment management to health and education.
In fact there are very few sectors which can do without social work professional. number of private hospitals employ professionals to examine the psychosocial aspects of diseases such as AIDS or cancer. CARE, an international NGO, has been making campus recruitment from several places like Delhi School of Social work, Jamia Millia and the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.
Work Environment
Social workers do not always work at a desk. The job involves meeting clients, conducting interview, conferencing with other professionals, preparing reports etc. Counselling, educating, conducting group work takes substantial time. Much of the work needs travelling to the client's home and working with the family. Advocacy involves working with employers, agencies, legislators, NGOs etc. They may even testify in court.
Personal Characteristics
Social workers must have a mature outlook. They should genuinely like people, feel a concern for their welfare and accept people as they are, respecting their hopes and aspirations and working with them to improve their social conditions and to increase their autonomy. They need plenty of patience too, as it can be a long slow process building up a relationship with some clients and one may have to circumvent barriers of class, culture, religion, race and prejudice of all sorts. There may be set-backs and disappointments on the slow progress of cases. Majority of those engaged in social work are dedicated, conscientious people who enjoy excellent relations with their clients.
